On 17 August, a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) was held at the Riga Castle under the leadership of the President Edgars Rinkēvičs.
The National Security Council examined reports by the Prosecutor General, the President of the Supreme Court, the Chiefs of the State Border Guard and the State Police on the penal policy and the necessary actions to ensure that the penal policy for crimes against national security, personal safety, hate crimes and illegal border crossing crimes proportionally achieves all penal objectives. The NSC notes that penal policy in hybrid warfare must be robust and deter repetition of crimes and demonstrate the state's readiness to respond to the threat.
The meeting participants listened to the reports from the responsible services on the current situation on the eastern border. The NSC agreed on the need to closely coordinate border surveillance measures, including border closures, with Poland and the other Baltic States.
The National Security Council also received reports from the Ministries of the Interior and Defence on readiness to respond to provocations as well as cooperation with allies, and took note of information on exercises organised by the National Armed Forces and the deployment of additional troops to the border area.
The NSC expresses its gratitude to the personnel of the State Border Guard, the National Armed Forces and the State Police for their service in ensuring border protection.
President Rinkēvičs plans to convene the next regular meeting of the National Security Council in September to discuss the planned actions to urgently secure the border defence infrastructure.